Brake-beam.



P. T. HANDIGES.

BRAKE BEAM.

APPLICATION rmm AUG. so, 1910.

988,773. Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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WITNESSE \Q INVENTOR W A! orneyJ,

P. T. HANDIGES.

BRAKE BEAM.

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1 WITNESS s YIINVENTOR I fiwha s' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP T. HANDIGES, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAMASCUS BRAKEBEAM 00., 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BRAKE-BEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 30, 1910.

Patented Apr. 4., 1911.

Serial No. 579,737.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP T. HANDIGEs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Brake-Beams, of which'the following is a specification.The present invention relates to brake beams for railway cars and moreparticularly to an arrangement for securing the brake-shoe sleeve to thecompression and tension members of the brake beam, to the end that abrake beam may be constructed shorter in length and therefore applicablefor trucks where space does not permit of the securing nut of thetension member being located beyond the end of the beam.

A further purpose of the invention resides in the construction of abrake beam for trucks of the character in question, wherein the securingnut for the truss rod is located between the inner side of the flange ofthe wheel and center of the brake beam, whereby to provide a clearancefor the wheel flange, so that in the event of the brake-shoe being lost,the lugs on the brake head will come into play as the braking medium,and thus overcome the likelihood of the wheel flange cutting into thetension member, thus destroying the strength of the brake beam, whichlatter condition is one of the great faults of the trussed beamsconstructed heretofore.

summarily stated, the invention com prises a sleeve fitted over the endof the compression member and secured in that position through themedium of an arm, to which is connected the tensioning rod, and thearrangement is such that the beam is trussed as a whole in directproportion as the sleeve is secured to the compression member.

The sleeve which carries the brake head is further serviceable, in thepresent arrangement, in having a means associated therewith, whereby toafford an effective adjustable mount for the release spring clip, sothat when it is adjusted with reference to the center of the beam tosuit spacing of springs in the truck, it will be protected againstlateral displacement, thus overcoming the disadvantages attending thepresent manner of mounting the spring clips, as in the latterarrangement, there is a constant tendency to shift from the setposition.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the brake beam, parts being shown insection; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the sleeve; Fig. 3 is a top planview thereof; Figs. 4; and 5 are respectively opposite end elevations ofthe same; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the release spring clip andrelease spring.

Referring to the several figures in further detail, and with likereference characters indicating corresponding parts in the several viewsshown, 1 designates the compression member of the beam, which is of theusual angle-iron construction; 2 is the fulcrum or strut member likewiseconstructed after the usual manner and 3 is the tensioning or truss rod.

At either end, the compression member 1 is cutaway to provide inclinedshoulders 2 and a reduced end 3, as indicated by dash lines, in Fig. 1.The sleeve i is interiorly constructed complementary to the end of thecompression member, viz. with inclined shoulders 4' and a squaredshoulder 5 for the elements 2' and 3 respectively. The sleeve 4 alsocarries the brake head mount 5 for the brake-shoe head 6. The brake headmount 5 is of substantially that structure shown (see Fig. 2) whereinthe brake head is secured through the medium of wedge blocks. Thisconstruction of the sleeve 4 will permit of its being fitted over thecompression member and held against rotation thereon (see Fig. 5).

The inner end of the sleeve 4 is formed with an integral and diagonallydisposed arm 7, having an eye 8 for the reception of the tensioning rod3. The member 7 is so disposed with relation to the brake head mount 5as to afford a clearance for the securing nut 9 of the tensioning rod.When in position, the nut 9 lies wholly between the flanges of the carwheels and within the ends of the compression member, as distinct frombeing placed at the end of the compression member, and thus considerablyreducing the over-all width of the brake beam as a whole. And withhaving the tensioning rod 3 terminated within the car wheels, affords anarrangement wherein said tensioning rod would not be subjected towearing by the car wheel in the event that the brake-shoe is lost fromthe brake head, since in the event of this happening, the lugs on thebrake head would be subject-ed to such wear.

The inner face of the sleeve 4: is provided with a plurality ofcorrugations or teeth 10, adapted to engage with a like surface 11 on aface of the release spring clip 12, and said faces of the sleeve andspring clip are held in engaging relation through the medium of alocking bolt 13. The locking bolt 13 has screw threaded engagement withthe sleeve and through the medium of a slot 14:, the member 12 may beadjusted laterally with respect to the fulcrum of the brake'beam. Withthis arrangement for securing the spring clip holder, itwill belevidentthat the tendency for that member toshift from its set position would bereduced to the minimum.

By having a connection of the-tension member with the sleeve ofiset fromthe bearing of the sleeve of the compression member in the direction ofbraking pressure, the brake head applied to the endv of the sleeve at apoint considerablyremoved' from the con nections. which unite thecompression and tension members, causes the: brake pressure to balanceany tipping. tendency of the sleeve due to the tension of the tensionmember and conversely enables the tension memberbetter to sustain thesleeve against any. tendency to bend the end of the. compression memberunder the brakingpressure.

I claim l. A brake beam comprising a compression member having its endscutaway to provide shoulders, a fulcrum member, a ten; sion member, asleeve carryi-nga brake head, said sleeve constructed Withshoulderscomplementary to the shoulders of the compression member and fittedover-the end of the compression member, said sleeve having an inner anddiagonally disposed arm constructed to receive the tension member, and amember securing the tension member to the sleeve aim, said securingmember being located intermediate the arm and the plane determined bythe inner flange surface of the car wheel.

2. The combination with the compression release spring clip adjustablymounted on the sleeve.

4. The combination with the compression and: tension members of'a,brake-beam, of a sleeve carrying it brake head mounted on the end of thecompression memberand' having a diagonally disposed arm, said tensionmember connected with the. armon the inner side of the. plane determinedby the inner flange surface of the carwheel and a release spring clipadjustably mounted; on the sleeve.

5. A brake beam comprising a; compression member havingv its endscut-away to provide inclined; shoulders and a. reduced portion, afulcrum member, a tension member, a sleeve having inclined shoulders.and a squared shoulder adapted to be engaged by the: shoulders and thereduced end of the compression. member when. the parts are assembled,and an arm on said sleeve connected to the tension member; saidconnection be: ing located intermediate the plane determined by theinner flange of the car wheel and the fulcrum member.

The foregoing-specification signed. this 1 st day of August, 1910.

PHILIP T. HANDIGES.

In presence of' C. P. VVAGNER, E. D. PUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

